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Monsanto’s "Roundup Ready" crops
Dear Green,
Monsanto has cleared every necessary hurdle toward getting its genetically engineered alfalfa (commonly sold as hay) on the market –– this is a potentially devastating development for organic farmers, livestock, and the environment.
The alfalfa in question is one of Monsanto’s "Roundup Ready" crops: That means that the crop has been genetically engineered to be resistant to one of Monsanto’s most popular herbicides, Roundup. In theory, that means farmers could grow this alfalfa, blanket their crops with chemicals, and kill weeds without killing the alfalfa, thus saving money.
Here's what happens in reality: Roundup kills the first batch of weeds, but the weeds adapt, growing into super weeds which in turn must be sprayed with – you guessed it – even more chemicals from Monsanto.
We need to take action to stop this vicious cycle before it starts. Tell President Obama to reject "Roundup Ready" alfalfa.
This isn't just a problem for the farmers who must spend their dwindling profits on more herbicides, or for the livestock who must eat alfalfa that's been treated with a double dose of noxious chemicals. As an added treat for the environment, runoffs from all of these chemicals pollute waterways and poison nearby wildlife.
To make matters even worse, the effects of genetically engineered alfalfa aren't restricted to the farmers who grow it –– through pollen transfer, "Roundup Ready" crops can change the genetics of nearby organic alfalfa. This could be devastating to organic alfalfa farmers whose livelihoods depend on an all-natural product. Eventually, this could also have a ruinous impact on organic meat and dairy, since those livestock need to eat organic alfalfa. As extreme as it sounds, genetically engineered alfalfa could literally reap disaster on the entire organic farming industry.
There's no time to waste –– Monsanto’s "Roundup Ready" alfalfa already got the green light from the USDA, and could be planted as early as this spring. We can and must take meaningful action: Change.org has joined with Food & Water Watch to ask President Obama to stop this potentially disastrous product.
Tell President Obama to stop "Roundup Ready" alfalfa for the sake of our farmers, our livestock, and our environment:
http://www.change.org/petitions/ask-president-obama-to-protect-organic-and-stop-monsantos-ge-alfalfa
Thanks for taking action,
Judith and the Change.org Team
See also:
SEE ALSO: Oprah talks about it & OPRAH GOES VEGAN
The Organic Consumers Association's Millions Against Monsanto Campaign · Challenging the Biotech Bully of St. Louis
Food Safety News
Monsanto has cleared every necessary hurdle toward getting its genetically engineered alfalfa (commonly sold as hay) on the market –– this is a potentially devastating development for organic farmers, livestock, and the environment.
The alfalfa in question is one of Monsanto’s "Roundup Ready" crops: That means that the crop has been genetically engineered to be resistant to one of Monsanto’s most popular herbicides, Roundup. In theory, that means farmers could grow this alfalfa, blanket their crops with chemicals, and kill weeds without killing the alfalfa, thus saving money.
Here's what happens in reality: Roundup kills the first batch of weeds, but the weeds adapt, growing into super weeds which in turn must be sprayed with – you guessed it – even more chemicals from Monsanto.
We need to take action to stop this vicious cycle before it starts. Tell President Obama to reject "Roundup Ready" alfalfa.
This isn't just a problem for the farmers who must spend their dwindling profits on more herbicides, or for the livestock who must eat alfalfa that's been treated with a double dose of noxious chemicals. As an added treat for the environment, runoffs from all of these chemicals pollute waterways and poison nearby wildlife.
To make matters even worse, the effects of genetically engineered alfalfa aren't restricted to the farmers who grow it –– through pollen transfer, "Roundup Ready" crops can change the genetics of nearby organic alfalfa. This could be devastating to organic alfalfa farmers whose livelihoods depend on an all-natural product. Eventually, this could also have a ruinous impact on organic meat and dairy, since those livestock need to eat organic alfalfa. As extreme as it sounds, genetically engineered alfalfa could literally reap disaster on the entire organic farming industry.
There's no time to waste –– Monsanto’s "Roundup Ready" alfalfa already got the green light from the USDA, and could be planted as early as this spring. We can and must take meaningful action: Change.org has joined with Food & Water Watch to ask President Obama to stop this potentially disastrous product.
Tell President Obama to stop "Roundup Ready" alfalfa for the sake of our farmers, our livestock, and our environment:
http://www.change.org/petitions/ask-president-obama-to-protect-organic-and-stop-monsantos-ge-alfalfa
Thanks for taking action,
Judith and the Change.org Team
See also:
SEE ALSO: Oprah talks about it & OPRAH GOES VEGAN
Food Safety News
posted by Greenconsciousness
at 2:11 PM - Link
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